Embodiments of the inventive concept relate to an apparatus and a method for liquid-treating a substrate, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for removing a liquid residing on a substrate.
A process of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a flat panel display panel includes various processes including a photographing process, an etching process, an ashing process, a thin film deposition process, and a cleaning process. Among the processes, in the photographing process, application, exposure, and development steps are sequentially performed. The application process is a process of applying a photosensitive liquid such as a resist onto a surface of a substrate. The exposure process is a process of exposing a circuit pattern on a substrate in which a photosensitive film is formed. The development process is a process of selectively developing an exposed area of a substrate.
In general, a development process includes a development liquid supplying operation, a rinsing liquid supplying operation, and a drying operation. The development liquid supplying operation, the rinsing liquid supplying operation, and the drying operation are sequentially performed. The development liquid supplying operation is an operation of developing an exposed area by supplying a development liquid onto a substrate, and the rinsing liquid supplying operation is an operation of rinsing process side-products and residual development liquids generated by the development liquid. The drying operation is an operation of drying the rinsing liquid residing on the substrate.
The substrate is rotated at different speeds in the operations, and the substrate is rotated at a higher speed in the driving operation than in the development liquid supplying operation and the rinsing liquid supplying operation, in order to dry the liquid.
However, as the line width of the pattern becomes finer to 30 nm or less, a pattern collapse a phenomenon, in which patterns are collapsed, frequently occurs in the process of drying the rinsing liquid, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In addition, rotational speeds of the substrate are different for areas, and thus the areas of the substrate cannot be uniformly dried.